Fears for cancer flight patients

by Louise Doyle

A CHARITY providing subsidised flights for more than 400 Donegal cancer patients to Dublin for treatment has voiced fears after the Aviation Authority confirmed plans to limit seat capacity at the capital’s airport.

Donegal Cancer Flights and Services offers reduced price flights for those travelling for treatment and works in conjunction with the Irish Cancer Society, which provides volunteer drivers to bring Donegal patients to and from Dublin Airport to hospitals.

Since February 2022, Public Service Obligation (PSO) flights have been operated by Emerald Airlines on behalf of Aer Lingus Regional services.

The service saves people a lengthy drive to Dublin, and is vital for those who need to get to Dublin for medical reasons, including cancer treatment.

This week, the Irish Aviation Authority confirmed plans to limit seat capacity at Dublin Airport to 25.2 million next summer.

That is one million fewer seats than were available this summer, and comes as the regulator tries to keep the airport within its 32 million passenger cap for the full year.

Mary Coyle organises the flights from Donegal and other services for patients from Ionad Naomh Pádraig, a community centre in Dobhar in the heart of the Gaeltacht.

Speaking to the Donegal News, Ms Coyle said she is “very worried” about what the cap could mean for local patients.

“This is of real concern because our service is an essential service to so many patients in the county. The flights are used by up to 430 cancer and other patients.

“The flights are also used by children with lifelong illnesses who have to travel up and down to Dublin, as well as dialysis patients and people who wouldn’t be able to attend appointments otherwise, as they would be too ill to travel by car or bus. There are also people who use our service because they don’t have anyone to travel with them.”

Flights depart from Carrickfinn Airport in Donegal twice daily and return from Dublin Airport twice each day.

“It is an essential service, not only in the Rosses and Gaoth Dobhair areas but also in Glenties, Ardara, Letterkenny and further afield in Donegal.”

Ms Coyle said there must be a united political will on the urgent issue.

“This is a real cause for concern, and this is where we need to get politicians behind us. We must protect this service at all costs,” she said.

Meanwhile, the CEO of Emerald Airlines has called for “real leadership” from Government to address the issues created by the passenger cap at Dublin Airport.

Airlines have criticised the limit and said that they will now be required to curtail services at Dublin, at a time when they want to grow.

“Every stakeholder in this process has admitted it’s madness, the Taoiseach even last weekend admitted the situation was madness,” said Emerald Airlines CEO Keith Butler on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

“We think it’s time that leadership is shown to address this artificial, man-made cap, which has nothing to do with airport capacity, has nothing to do with local infrastructure capacity at this point.”

He called on Taoiseach Simon Harris to take personal ownership of the situation and to put “practical solutions in place immediately” to address the issue.

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